


Of Mullets and Idiots

by piolioxsa



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Canon Compliant, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Hinted Keith/Lance - Freeform, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Major Character Injury, Sort Of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-07
Updated: 2018-06-07
Packaged: 2019-05-19 11:52:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14873261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/piolioxsa/pseuds/piolioxsa
Summary: "Keith…""What?""I… I don't know if it matters but..""But what, Lance?""I think I sort of…"Broke my fucking leg."Sprained my ankle a bit in the crash""And why the hell did you not tell me this before, you idiot!"……………After the wormhole collapses Lance and Keith find themselves stranded on an alien planet together, so by default there are worried glances, some minor (well, Lance's definition of minor) injuries and hidden blushes.





	Of Mullets and Idiots

**Author's Note:**

> Set after the wormhole collapse accident, after the season 1 finale. If you don't remember what happened, here's the short version: they try to defeat Zarkon but fails, and when escaping through a wormhole the enemy fires some sort of laser at the wormhole and as a result the paladins get thrown out to different corners of the universe. 
> 
> But I made Keith and Lance crash together, I'm kind that way. 
> 
> This fic has been sitting and collecting figurative dust in my klance folder, since I hate proofreading my works but really need to do so if I want to post it. So I hope you'll enjoy it, and let me know if you would like to see more of this in the future. 
> 
> Love, Piolioxsa

Keith let out a frustrated grunt, as Red land beside Black in the castle. They couldn't beat Zarkon. He couldn't beat Zarkon. Keith still finds some comfort in that they are all safe, as the castle starts going through the wormhole.  
  
Then, all hell breaks loose.  
"Coran, what's happening?", Shiro says through clenched teeth as the whole castle begins to shake violently.  
"The integrity of the wormhole has been compromised, it's breaking down!", Corans panicked voice cuts through the comms.  
"What does that mean?!", Lance screams.  
"It means we have no control over where we're headed!"  
  
Keith barely catches Corans words before he feels Red start to slip out of the open hatch. Suddenly, up is down and down is up and everything is spinning, shaking out of control. He grips onto the controls with all he got, trying and failing to steady himself. But the sound of everyone's screams is what makes his stomach curl. Panic floods through him, but then a quick flash of blue in all that sickening purple of the wormhole catch his eye. Lance. He forces Red towards him, but before he can reach him he feels that familiar tug and then the world around him shift. Lance is gone, and the ground of whatever planet they were warped to was approaching. Fast.  
  
"No, no, no, come on girl!", he screams as his futile attempt to pull her up does absolutely nothing.  
  
There's pain as Red finally hits the ground.  
  
Then there's nothing.  
  
………………...  
Everything is still, silence like one he hadn't experienced since leaving earth. It's not a drowning silence as the one in space, but one filled with life. The sound of grass slowly waving in the air. Of warm winds, gently rustling the treetops. He even feels the suns soothing rays and smiles softly. This is home.  
  
Keith jerks up, the weight of his thoughts finally catching up to him. But as he opens his eyes what he sees is definitely not home. It's close, but as far as Keith know you can't find deep green skies on earth. He ignores the feeling of disappointment and focuses on assessing the damage done by the crash.  
  
Red is buried partly by dirt and through the front windows the sees that they must have landed on some kind of field. She seems fine, considered, but the controls won't respond no matter what he does. Keith puts a gentle hand on the dashboard.  
  
"You still with me girl?", he whispered softly. A small humm answers him, and even though it's weak Keith feels relieved. She would be fine.  
  
Keith gets up from the pilot seat, and sure he feels bruised all over and would like nothing more than to just lie down in his warm cosy bed and just… No, there's no time for that.  
  
"It's Keith, are you guys alright?", he calls through the com of his helmet. Nothing. Keith opens the emergency hatch and jumps out of Red.  
  
It's fine, don't lose your head.  
  
"Can someone hear me?" Keith takes a deep breath to calm himself.  
  
"Anyone?"  
  
He must have made it alone after all. But he can't panic, it won't help. The others will be safe, and soon enough Pidge would come up with some genius way of tracking him down. He would just have to wait.  
  
He keeps his helmet on, not wanting to miss anything on the com. Keith looks around, and he knows Lance would love this place. Closeby he can see a group of large hills, surrounded by a large forest. The field they landed on is actually quite large, and a small river runs through it calmly. The sun is sitting high on the alien sky, but it still reminds him a lot of earth. He could picture Lance running around like a maniac among the high grass, and Keith can't help but smile softly at the image. 

  


He has to be safe.  
  
The calm is abrupted by harsh static coming through the comms. His heart starts to beat like mad.  
  
"Hello? I can't hear you!" More static. Keith jumps up on Red, promptly ignoring his body's protests, trying desperately to get a better signal.  
  
"...eith? Is that you?"  
  
"Lance!",Keith could laugh from relief.  
  
A soft chuckle, and god does it make him feel good.  
  
"Yeah, you okay mullet?", Lance asks. It sounds off, Keith notices. Weak.  
  
"I'm fine, but you…" A paint groan is heard through the com.  
  
"Lance!", and all Keith hears is heavy breathing. "Come on, talk to me".  
  
"It's… It's fine". Bullshit. They both know damn well that Lance is hurt, but Keith ignores Lance stubbornness for now.  
  
"Where are you?", he says. Eyes scanning the forest around him. He notices it then, a small trail of smoke gently trailing up from the thick mass of trees. And the cold anxiety is back, sitting like a heavy stone in his belly.  
  
"Lance! Do not tell me Blue is on fucking fire!"  
  
"No… no fire. Just some damn wires smoking." Lance make another pained noise. "They sure as hell hurt when you touch them though…"  
  
"Then get out of there, dumbass!"  
  
"Yeah..", Lance lets out a pained breath, "I'm on it, no need to freak out". Needless to say, the words do little to ease his mind.  
  
Keith hurries back into Red, grabbing whatever he thought he might need from the emergency cabinet and putting it in a bag. He's about to leave again when he feel a small tug from Red, telling him to go back to the dashboard. When he gets closer, he sees that she had managed to put up the scanner. He gives her a mental thanks, and look for Lance on the map. He finds the red dot representing his fellow paladin fairly quickly, but…  
  
"Fuck!" Keith curses as he all but dash out of Red toward Lance.  
  
"Lance, you got your bayard right?"  
  
"Yeah, but…"  
  
"Keep it ready, and don't pass out!", Keith yells.  
  
"Oh come on! Don't tell me.."  
  
"We're not the only ones out here"  
  
……………  
Keith was mad. He could tell. Probably panicky, even though he would definitely deny it. But right now, honestly, he doesn't care.  
  
"Keith…"  
  
Lance can hear his heavy breathing, that bastard has been running towards him for the past half an hour. From what he can tell by Keith's angry grunts, this forest is stupidly dense, and he knows he should make fun of him for being so slow… But Lance can't really think straight right now.  
  
"What?", he answers with a short voice.  
  
"I… I don't know if it matters but.."  
  
"But what, Lance?"  
  
"I think I sort of…"  
  
Broke my fucking leg.  
  
"Sprained my ankle a bit in the crash"  
  
"And why the hell did you not tell me this before, you idiot!". Lance flinch at his harsh words.  
  
It had taken him an embarrassing amount of time to get out of Blue, trying to avoid the whizzing wires and… Well, his left leg hurt like hell. His inner Pidge informed him it was probably thanks to the adrenalin that he'd made it out at all. But now, slumped heavily on the base of a massive tree, bayard across his lap, the pain was making him feel faint. Not that Keith had to know that.  
  
"It's nothing too bad, but I don't think I can make it much further than this on my own".The admission seemed to startle Keith into silence. He felt bad.  
  
"Sorry, mullet".  
  
"No, don't say… Damn it, Lance. It's not your fault. Are you out of Blue yet?"  
  
"Yeah," he glances sadly at the broken form of his lion, "But she is so messed up, Keith"  
  
If Keith picks up on the slight tremor in his voice, he doesn't comment on it. Lance is thankful.  
  
"Don't worry, those things are tough. She'll be alright".  
  
They stay silent for a while and Lance has to be honest, it was getting pretty hard to keep his eyes open. The sun was still high, warming him gently. Maybe, he could close his eyes… Just for a moment…  
  
………….  
The com had been quiet for a while, but Keith told himself that Lance was alright. They had been in worse situations than this, and Lance was a Paladin even though he didn't always act like one. He's fine, god damn it stop worrying.  
  
That is what he's telling himself, but he's not sure his body agrees. With every heartbeat comes a message to just hurry. Hurry. Hurry.  
  
When he enters the clearing, unnaturally made by Blue's heavy descent, his eyes dart around for his injured friend. He sees him, and shit he passed out.  
  
"Lance!", he yelled as he ran toward his fallen comrade. Keith slung his helmet off, and bend down to check Lance vitals, Lances helmet gone in seconds, but his hand was shaking and he could not find a fucking pulse and… Calm down, two fingers on the neck... there it is. It was slow but still strong.  
  
Keith shakes his shoulder lightly, calling his name. When he still won't wake up, Keith shakes him harder.  
  
"Stop it. Hurts", Lance said in a weak voice. In a not at all like Lance voice.  
  
"Lance, please open your eyes for me", he said in the softest voice he could muster.  
  
Lance whimpered and slowly his eyes fluttered open, and Keith was absolutely certain that it was the best sight he'd ever witnessed.  
  
But then a pained expression made it's may across Lance's face, and he felt his fists grasp his arm. Keith ran his eyes quickly over Lance body, trying to find whatever injury Lance had decided not to tell him about. Why does he need to be like this?, he thought as he finally spotted the broken leg.  
  
And even though he was in obvious pain, that idiot still blushed when Keith glared at him.  
  
Stupid.  
  
But he said nothing as he searched his bag for painkillers and a water bottle, handing them to Lance. He took them with shaky hands, but managed to swallow the pills nevertheless. Keith got up, looking for a stick or something to straighten the leg. First time today he was actually grateful for all the fallen branches is this hellish forest.  
  
When he had prepared everything, Keith opened his mouth to speak but Lance beat him to it.  
  
"Don't say it's gonna hurt, I know it's gonna fucking hurt so just be quick about it", Lance says through gritted teeth.  
  
Keith tries to be gentle, but he knows how much fixating a broken leg hurt. Even though he knows it's coming, hearing Lances pained screams feels like torture.  
  
When it's done, they are both covered in sweat. And Keith can tell Lance is close to passing out again.  
  
Keith puts everything in the bag and looks up towards the sky with tired eyes. Good, the sun was still high. But not too far away from sundown, they had to hurry.  
  
"Have you seen or heard anything, Lance?"  
  
"You mean from our possibly flesh-eating fellow forest dwellers? Nope".  
  
"They might be night active, we should get back to Red"  
  
Lance glanced at the smoking, sparking form of his lion.  
  
"Sound good"  
  
"Here", Keith say as he hands Lance the bag, "put this on". Lance gives him a puzzled look.  
  
"What? Why?"  
  
"Because I can't carry you with it on me"  
  
Normally, Lance would give Keith a challenging look and ask him why the hell he would let Keith do that. But now, he just sits up and let Keith wiggle the bag on him. He even lets Keith help him stand, cursing when blood starts flowing into the broken leg. Keith lowers himself, and Lance clings onto his back. More curses and pained yelps make it's way out of Lance's mouth before he is placed correctly on Keiths back.  
  
Keith does not think about how hard it would be to get back through the forest. Or how every step he takes make Lance wince in pain. Or how his whole body is screaming for him to just please lay down and rest. But Keith won't give in. He just won't.  
  
…………………  
Lance can't really think much thought the cloud that surrounds his head, god he hates Altean painkillers. But one thing keeps on bugging him, a thought nagging endlessly.  
  
It's Keith.  
  
Lance can tell that every step he takes now is heavy. And he tries to tell him, more than once, that they should stop and rest for a while. They still got time before sundown. But Keith just grunts something incoherently in return, if he answers at all, and continues stoically. Fucking Keith.  
  
When Lance feels the painkillers wear off, the pain is almost a relief.  
  
"Keith", no response.  
  
"Keith, the painkillers. They aren't working", still nothing.  
  
"I need to take some more, it fucking hurts! Stop!", with the last word, he hits Keith's shoulder with his fist. Finally, he reacts, and unceremoniously put Lance against a mossy log.  
  
And Lance definitely did not whimper in pain when he did so.  
  
"You don't have to be so rough, damn it!", Lance says as he digs around the backpack. He hears Keith mumble something.  
  
"What did you say?", and Keith sigh dramatically.  
  
"We need to hurry. It's getting dark. I wish we could go faster"  
  
"Well, it's not my fault we crashed out of a fucking wormhole into a fucking forest and that I broke my fucking leg!", Lance all but screams.  
  
"Lance", Keith sighs and runs a shaky hand through his wild hair. "I'm not doing this right now. And I'm sure as hell not going to camp out here tonight".  
  
Lance feel frustrated, but moving around hurts so he resorts to casting an angry glare at him.  
  
Keith just rolls his eyes.  
  
Lance sighs, and keep on looking through the bag for the damn painkillers. And of course...  
  
"Keith…"  
  
"What?", he answers. Obviously pissed off.  
  
"I can't find the painkillers".  
  
Keith takes the bag forcefully, and start to pick out everything out of the bag. One thing after another drops to the ground, and Lance is sure even Keith could feel the heavy tension resting between them.  
  
"Fucking hell!" Keith yells and throws the bag at the log as if it was the reason the painkillers are lost.  
  
Keith begins to pace, back and forth, and Lance keeps his mouth quiet. He knows that is was most likely him that forgot to put them back in the back, but hell he was barely conscious! But truth to be told, Lances was starting to feel stressed out. The pain was slowly but surely growing stronger, and jumping around on Keiths back right now…  
  
Keith must have been thinking the same thing. Lance noticed how he started to look nervously at the lowering sun.  
  
"Maybe if we hurry…"  
  
"No Lance, I won't do that to you".  
  
  
"But you're right!", and wow that felt weird, "We can't stay out here, it's too dangerous. We have no idea where we are, or what is even on this planet. We can’t risking camping out here with only one of us capable of fighting of predators". Keith stopped pacing and turned against him. And Lance must be seeing things because for a moment Keith looked scared.  
  
Before Lance could think more of it, Keith picked up the bag and began collecting the tossed out things. Lance closed his eyes and willed himself not to think about what was about to happen.  
  


He lets his mind wander to the rest, still remembering hearing their panicked voices when the wormhole collapsed. He’s worried for them, of course he is. But since both Keith and himself made it out relatively unharmed they should be fine to. No, they are fine. They’ll all be back at the castle soon, complaining about food-goo and Alluras relentless training schedule. Well, training ain’t all bad. He get to stare at Keith’s fine ass all day without anyone noticing. Lance smirks slightly. 

  


  
"Lance", Keith said softly and Lance opened his eyes (definitely not blushing). Keith was holding out his hand as if to ask if he was really sure about this. Lance looked at confusily before remembering, right. They still had to get out of here, without painkillers. Great. Lance bit his lip and looked up at Keith with hesitant eyes.  
  
"What.. what about the bag?", he stalled.  
  
"We can come back for it later, everything we could need right now is with Red anyway. And..", Keith hesitated, "I'm not sure I could carry the extra weight".  
  
"Oh", Lance answered. Feeling guilty, he realised that Keith was probably hurting as well. The fight with Zarkon had been hard, and then crash landing, running to get Lance and then carrying Lance here.  
  
"It's fine, god damn it Lance you're the one with a broken leg! Just, take my hand", Keith said avoiding his glance.  
  
Lance plasters on a, very fake, confident smile.  
  
"It's fine, this is nothing compared to the time when…"  
  
"Lance, just take my fucking hand".  
  
Lance pretend to pout and grabs Keith's hand.  
  
And he really can't stop the yelp that escapes him when Keith, slowly, make him stand.  
  
Don't pass out, don't pass out, don't pass out, he thinks panicked as by every second his vision goes darker and darker.  
  
"Lan.."  
  
"Ts fine, I'm fine. Let's just do this."  
  
When he's finally back into position, Lance buries his head in the crook of Keith's neck. And when Keith asks him if he's okay, he just nods.  
  
He's not. But the smell of Keith calms him, tells him that he's safe. Lance decides to focus on that, and ignore the pain. Ignore the way Keith start to shake from exhaustion after just a few minutes, and the way the sun is running away from them.  
  
Because he's safe.  
  
……………………  
It's heavy. Keith feels like Atlas, like he's carrying an impossibly heavy burden on his shoulders.  
  
Keith smiles, wondering where that thought came from. He feels a strange urge to laugh, and why can't quite get his eyes to see…  
  
He stumbles but manages to support himself on a tree before he falls. Lance make a quiet noise, and it's so small.  
  
"It's fine, just stumbled a bit. We're almost there"  
  
Lance doesn't answer, but he's not sure he would have noticed it either way.  
  
"We're almost there…"  
  
One step. Good, Keith. One more. Come on.  
  


Just… Just a little bit further…  
  
……………………………  
Keith wakes with a jolt, breathing erratic and unseeing eyes trying to make sense of what the hell happened and where am I. The gentle buzz of Red calms him down, ensures him that he's safe. When his heart calms, he can see that he's in Red, leaning against the steel wall. There's a weight on his lap, and when he sees the source he remembers why his brain was set in panic mode.  
  
Lance.  
  
He's resting his head clumsily on his lap, and maybe Keith would have been embarrassed if it was not for the way Lances face showed every bit of pain he was in right now. His normally smooth, bright face was covered in a sheet of sweat, his features contracted.  
  
Keith doesn't really remember how he and Lance had made it all the way back, but it doesn't matter. Lance is what matters. Keith puts a gentle hand on his cheek, allowing himself to run his thumb across it, trying and failing to make Lance relax.  
  
"Lance? Are you awake?", Keith says gently.  
  
Lance nod is small, but it's there. His eyes slowly fluttered open, revealing tear-rimmed eyes. Lance runs a shaky hand over his face as he groans.  
  
"Please don't tell me you brought all the painkillers out with you", Lance ask. But he already knows the answer, and one quick look at Keith's guilty face confirms his fears.  
  
"I'm sorry, Lance…"  
  
"Don't. It's not your fault that the universe hates me", Lance laughs bitterly.  
  
Keith doesn't answer. He helps Lance sit up, and with his legs free he brings them up to his chest and rests his chin on his kneecaps. They sit in a thick silence for a while, none of them knowing what to do about this situation.  
  
"Does it still.."  
  
"Yeah, like freaking hell. But at least it's not moving around, so a guess it's fine". Lance looks over to Keith. "How about you, are you okay?"  
  
Keith raises a brow at that, half amusing.  
  
"Well, nothing's broken if that's what you're wondering"  
  
"I'm just asking because you look like shit, dude", and Keith gruffs at that.  
  
"So do you, stupid", he smiles slightly.  
  
Keith starts to rise slowly, groaning quietly when the action puts a strain on his aching body.  
  
"I need to see if I can contact the others", he murmurs and walks over to the dashboard. 

  


After a while he comes to two conclusions: One, no he can't communicate with the others. And two, Red was (thankfully) fine enough to start to fix the damage done in the crash. God, he loves lion space magic. It would still be a while until things were up and running though, sometime between 10 to 20 earth hours a notice informs him.  
  
He sighs, frustrated.  
  
"Told you, the universe hates me", Lance quips in from his slumped position.  
  
"It's not something to brag about, idiot. I'm going to go look for some blankets and food, don't move"  
  
"Very funny!" Lance yells after Keith, as he heads to Reds storage compartment. Keith chuckles for himself. I can't believe this guy, he thinks fondly.  
  
…………………………  
At that moment, Lance felt at peace. Happy even. Keith had apparently raided the castle for extra blankets, I get cold he had said with a pout. Lance would have made fun of him, but now, with 2 blankets elevating his leg, and with one blanket each to cuddle under as the night came, he kept his mouth shut. After a quick meal made up of some strange space-protein bar, the days dramatic events had finally come up with them. Keith had been the first to give himself up to the warm temptation of sleep.  
  
Lance smiled at him fondly, as Keith's head leaned on his shoulder. He looked so peaceful, no doubt tired as hell, but peaceful nevertheless. Lance pulled his blanket closer to his chin, and finally let himself follow Keith to dreamland.  
  
……………………………  
And that's how the rest of the crew found them, a couple of hours later. And of course, Pidge had been quick to take several pictures, content to expand their blackmail library.  
  
"Do you think they will stop pretending soon, and make this whole thing easier for all of us?", Hunk said with a small smile on his lips, as he gently picked up Lance, mindful of his leg.  
  
"Nah, I wouldn't bet on it. But look at them", Pidge shoved their camera up Shiro's face, 

  


"They are so cute!"  
  
Shiro just chuckles, happy that they are all safe. 

  


............................. 

  


When Lance stumbled out of the healing pod sometime later, Keith would be there to catch him. And if the embrace lasted longer than what was appropriate for mere friends, neither of them really cared. 

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Voltron or these characters, only this humble fanfiction. 
> 
> Also, as you might have noticed English is not my first language so if you notice some grammatical error please let me know! (och om du också är en svensk som fallit in i denna fantastiska värld, hej på dej)
> 
> Hope you liked my fic, have a glorious day :)


End file.
